Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian requested a more comprehensive package of services and interventions for families and individuals in street situations (FISS) from key government agencies during the first Inter-Agency Committee (IAC) meeting for “Oplan Pag-Abot.”

In the Jan. 30 meeting held at the DSWD Central Office in Quezon City, Gatchalian requested assistance from the member-agencies to achieve the goals outlined in Executive Order (EO) No. 52, which aims to improve and standardize the provision of social safety nets to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups living on the streets.

“They are in the streets because the state fails them. Now, it is time for us to make up for our shortcomings, tayo (we), the state, by providing them with the necessary social protection that they need and we really need your help with it,” the DSWD chief told attending representatives of the member-agencies.

Gatchalian said the member-agencies will be of special assistance and support to the DSWD in delivering post-reach-out care services to the assisted clients who are subjected to risks and abuses.

“Ang iniisip namin na support from other agencies will be the aftercare, lalong lalo na kapag inuwi namin sila sa probinsya. Baka may iba pa kayong in-kind support that you can help us with (We think that support from other agencies will be the aftercare, especially when we bring them home to the province. Maybe you have other in-kind support that you can help us with,” he said.

“We are planning to tighten a package together with all of you, a comprehensive package of aftercare for them, whether tulungan ninyo magsaka, tulungan magnegosyo (help them farm or do business),” he added.

Interventions

Individuals who used to live on the streets will receive various interventions through Oplan Pag-Abot, including medical help, food aid, transportation and relocation assistance, livelihood opportunities, transitory family support packages, and emergency financial and transitory shelter assistance.

Gatchalian outlined during the meeting the Oplan Pag-Abot teams’ post-reach-out operations actions to the member-agency representatives.

“One, transitory, we put them in our care facilities. Two, kapag iyong pamilya nila nandiyan (if they have a family), we reintegrate them into their families. Three, we bring them to their provinces but with the right economic grants,” he said.

“Hindi ito sapilitan (This is not forced), we convince them, until they come with us. That is the main thrust. It is a right-based approach,” Gatchalian pointed out.

“It is also technology-driven. Every single person who comes with us, bina-biometric namin (they undergo biometrics) and it goes into the Pag-abot database,” he added.

Gatchalian said the program recently implemented an e-profiling tool that uses a tablet-based application with a geo-tagging function to allow Oplan Pag-Abot teams to easily locate and assist individuals and families in street situations.

Malacañang issued EO 52 on Jan. 18, which institutionalized and expanded the DSWD’s Oplan Pag-Abot by establishing an IAC that will oversee the conduct of reach-out operations.

Under the EO, the DSWD Secretary will serve as chair of the IAC, while the Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary will serve as vice chair.